Coping with War
by Supernova750
Summary: *A collab between me and xKatharosx* Dustkit and Shykit's parents never really payed much attention to them and they learned to make do. What they didn't learn was that they had a destiny to save the clans from an unknown danger. They don't know the danger that destiny puts them in or the choice they have to make. Please R&R! *Rated T for violence/gore*
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

A queen lay in the nursery, her tail curled loosely around her two kits, a tom and a she-cat. The tom was a pale brown tabby tom like her while the she-cat was black and white, more like her mate, Nightburn.

Where was Nightburn? He had said he would be there to help her name their kits a long time ago and there was still no sign of him. The she-cat got to her paws, ignoring the mewls of protest from her kits as she padded rather unsteadily out of the nursery, still tired from her recent kitting.

"Jinxpool, have you seen Nightburn?" she called to the black medicine cat, who looked up from her herbs before flicking her tail towards a group of toms who were standing in a tight circle, meowing and hissing loudly.

"Nightburn!" Tabbypool mewed sharply as she pushed past two large toms to see her mate wrestling with Splinterscar, a large scarred brown tabby tom. The black tom swiftly pushed Splinterscar off of him and got to his paws, looking at his mate with hard silver-blue eyes.

"Why did you interrupt the fight?" he growled coldly, his voice laced with anger.

Nowadays in WindClan, fights had become a common occurrence between the toms, a way to show dominance or settle differences, though the deputy, Soothaze, had ordered that no claws were to be used as not to injure any warriors. Nightburn's jet-black fur was ruffled and dusty, his chest heaving as he recovered his breath from the fight.

"Because I'm your mate and it's time for you to help me name _your _kits beetle-brain!" Tabbypool hissed irritably, her tail lashing as she led her mate to the nursery, muttering angrily under her breath.

Nightburn rolled his eyes, "Whatever. Let's just get this over with." he muttered, gazing indifferently at his son and daughter. They were just another litter of scraps of fur, more needy mouths to feed during the cold, hard leafbare.

"What should we name them?" Tabbypool asked, curling her tail around the tiny bundles, "I was thinking of naming the she-cat Shykit."

Nightburn shrugged, "Sounds fine."

Tabbypool bristled slightly. He didn't even care! But she forced her voice to remain even, despite the tight anger in it as she growled, "And the tom?"

Nightburn looked at the tom for a few moments before meowing, "Dustkit. Call him Dustkit. Are you happy now?"

Tabbypool glared at her mate, her lips pressed tightly together as she watched the black tom turn and shoulder his way back out of the nursery, his muscles rippling in anticipation of another fight.

Tabbypool lay back down, allowing her kits to begin suckling again, their mewls quieting slowly as they drifted to sleep.

There was a soft rustling and the queen looked up to see Jinxpool slipping into the nursery, dipping her head in greeting. "Hello Tabbypool. I'm here to check on your kits."

Tabbypool nodded, "Alright."

The medicine cat moved forwards and began examining the kits, checking to make sure their breathing was even and their heartbeats steady before stepping back, a smile on her pretty face, "You have two healthy kits Tabbypool. They'll make fine warriors one day."

Suddenly the medicine cat stiffened, her eyes taking on an ancient look to them as she meowed in a rasping voice, "_Two of the wind, scarred and torn shall bring peace the clans of lore. To end the death, a decision made to destroy or to save. To return, heroes made_."

Tabbypool bristled in surprise, her eyes wide as she curled her tail protectively around her kits, baring her teeth at the spasming medicine cat.

"J-jinxpool?" she meowed as the she-cat finally calmed down and blinked, her eyes returning to normal.

The medicine cat gazed at the queen and the kits, her eyes somber and her face grave as she mewed in a grim voice, "Something is coming Tabbypool. Something terrible."


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

_(Dustkit's POV)_

Dustkit bounded out of the nursery, his tabby fur fluffed up with excitement. Tabbypool had shooed him and Shykit out of the nursery so Dapplebreeze could get some rest after her recent kitting. She had had three kits the night before and named them

Talonkit, Driftkit and Grasskit.

"You're it!" Dustkit yowled, tagging his sister, Shykit, with his paw and darting away, his long legs propelling him swiftly across the camp, "Can't catch me!"

Shykit giggled and ran after him, her fluffy kit fur flattening against her sides in the wind that raked across the camp.

"No fair!" she protested playfully, "I wasn't ready!"

Dustkit laughed and darted away from her paws, glancing over his shoulder to see how far behind she was before he slammed into a wall of fur and muscle, falling back with a yelp of surprise.

"Stupid runt!" the large tabby tom spat, his fur bristling with annoyance. "Get away from me!"

Dustkit nodded and scrambled back to his paws, darting back over to Shykit. "Stupid furball." he muttered under his breath. "Who made dirt in his nest?"

Shykit shrugged, "I dunno. Whatever, let's go to the elders. Maybe they have a story for us!"

Dustkit grinned, "Okay! I'll race you!" he threw the words back over his shoulder as he darted away, laughing.

"Hey, no fair!" Shykit wailed, bounding after him, "That's cheating!"

"Is not!" Dustkit called back, laughing as he ran into the elders' den, "Sparrowleaf!" he called to the grizzled old she-cat, the oldest in WindClan, "Can you tell us a story?"

The she-cat nodded, her white-streaked muzzle breaking into a small smile, "Alright Dustkit, settle down with Shykit. What story would you like to hear?"

Dustkit looked thoughtful for a few moments before meowing, "I wanna know why Splinterscar is such a grouch."

Sparrowleaf nodded, a sad look passing across her old face. "Ah, you wish for a story about my son. Be warned, it is a sad story."

"Splinterscar is your son?" Shykit asked, her eyes wide with wonder and surprise.

Sparrowleaf nodded solemnly, "Indeed he is the son of Lostclaw and I. I only wish his story could have been a long, happy one like ours." she smiled at the black tom who lay on the moss near her and the old tom smiled back. Dustkit shuddered slightly. Even though Lostclaw was a nice, kind cat, the missing toes on his paw always creeped the younger tom out.

Sparrowleaf took a deep breath before going into her story, "Splinterscar had a sister, a she-cat named Kinkkit. They were very close as kits and when she died of greencough he was crushed as were we. She would have grown up to be a fine warrior and probably a fine mother but we were forced to watch her body waste away to nothing because of the greencough." Tears were glistening in the old she-cat's eyes as she paused to collect herself before continuing. "Now Kinkpaw had had a friend, a beautiful she-cat named Featherpaw, who later became Featherfluff, and Splinterscar loved her with all his heart and she loved him back. When mourned Kinkpaw together and were very close until they became warriors and then, mates."

"Who's Featherfluff? She's not here now." Dustkit meowed in a small voice.

Sparrowleaf nodded sadly, "She died Dustkit. That is part of the story. When Featherfluff was expecting Splinterscar's kits, she grew sick with the same greencough that had taken Splinterscar's sister. She survived just long enough to give birth to one small tom before she gave in to StarClan's summons. That tom's name, surprisingly, was Dustkit, just like you. He was very weak but he had inherited his father's strong will and he lived to become a warrior named Dustwhisker. Splinterscar was so proud of his son. Then, greencough struck again. Dustwhisker wasn't strong enough and he had always been small and weak. Splinterscar's name perhaps wasn't as appropriate as it should have been as the scars on his body are not what mars him but the scars on his heart from his loss. That, Dustkit, is why he does not like kits or happy families, as it reminds him of his own unhappy life of loss."

_(Shykit's POV)_

Shykit listened carefully, her amber eyes wide as she listened to Splinterscar's sad lifestory.

_No cat deserves a life like that._ she though, secretly vowing on that day to make sure nothing like this would ever happen again to a member of her clan.

"Shykit." Dustkit meowed bordely. "Shykit, come on! Let's go play some more!"

"Okay." Shykit whispered, dipping her head in thanks to Sparrowleaf before following Duskit.

As they walked out of the elders' den, Shykit eagerly looked through the crowd of cats for Splinterscar. Dustkit payed no attention to her as he weaved through the cats in the clearing. "Shykit, are you coming?" He called over his shoulder, and Shykit ran to catch up.

"Dustkit, by any chance, have you seen Splinterscar since you ran into him?" She asked, hoping to keep her voice from sounding eager.

"What do you want with that beetle-brain?" Dustkit hissed as he swatted at a moss ball.

"Nothing." She mewed, flicking her tail.

"What's wrong?" Dustkit, asked, passing the moss ball to her. "You seem... sad."

Just then, Shykit saw Splinterscar walk past the nursery. As the moss ball flew towards her, she hit it with her front paws and sent it sailing over Dustkit's head, and straight at the bitter tom behind him.

Shykit ran up to Splinterscar, "I'm so sorry!" she mewed quickly. Splinterscar took one long look at her.

"Watch where you throw that thing, rabbit-brain." He hissed at her and kept walking.

Shykit followed him, purring softly. "You know, your mother tells excellent stories."

Splinterscar growled something under his breath and kept walking, hoping to get away from the tiny nuisance of the she-kit.

"Oh! She told me a story about you today, too!" Shykit purred harder.

Splinterscar stopped and sat down. "Did she now?" He muttered with narrowed eyes.

"Yep! She told me about Kinkpaw and Featherfluff and why you're so bitter."

Splinterscar slowly leaned forward and looked Shykit straight in the eyes. "Don't ever mention that name to me again!" he snarled and darted out of camp, leaving Shykit with a startled look on her face.

Dustkit ran up to her. "What were you thinking?" He exclaimed, pawing her in the shoulder. "He's a fox-heart!"

"No, he's not." Shykit said softly, looking at the ground. "He's just a cat, a wonderful cat. Not a fox-heart! I'll prove it to you!" She hissed before stalking into the nursery.

Dustkit didn't follow.


	3. Chapter 2 (Part 1)

**Chapter 2**

_(Dustkit's POV)_

Dustkit sat in the camp, his tail flicking boredly. He looked over at Shykit, his gaze casual as he mewed, "You wanna go play?"

"Play what?" Shykit asked, "I don't wanna do mossball again and anyways, Dapplebreeze's kits are using the mossball."

Dustkit huffed with annoyance. Didn't those kits have anything that was theirs? All they had they had taken from him and Shykit.

"Let's go out of camp." he whispered to his sister in a soft voice so no others would hear.

Shykit's eyes widened, "B-but that's against the rules!" she hissed back.

"So? Do you think those fights are supposed to be by the rules? Tidalstar only allows them because she's afraid that if she doesn't, they might do something against her!"

Shykit flattened her ears, looking torn between wanting to obey the warrior code and her own boredness. Both littermates had always wanted to go outside of the camp and Dustkit was sure that she wanted to go now as much as he did.

Finally, the she-cat nodded and got to her paws, "As long as we don't get caught. If we do, I swear to StarClan, I claw your ears to shreds."

Dustkit grinned, "We won't get caught, don't worry!"

Shykit still looked rather unconvinced but she nodded, her eyes flashing with eagerness to see the world outside the camp.

It was easy enough for the two kits to slip out of the camp unseen. It wasn't like anyone actually watched them anyways. Everyone else was always busy taking care of Driftkit, Talonkit and Grasskit. Shykit and Dustkit were the oldest kits in the nursery, being six moons old while Dapplebreeze's litter was only three moons old so they were always pushed to the side while the younger kits got all the attention.

"Wow..." Dustkit breathed as the wind caressed the fur on his face. His kit fur had begun to grow out, leaving him with a sleek pale brown tabby pelt. Shykit, too, was growing into a soft black and white pelt of fur that brought out her shining amber eyes. "It's really big out here."

"Yeah..." Shykit mewed in an awed voice. "It's huge."

The territory stretched out before the two kits, the lake shimmering in the sharp sunlight, making them blink the sparkling light from their eyes as they swept their gazes across the seemingly endless expanse of land. Dustkit could see mountains in the distance, giant and looming high above them and when he turned his gaze to across the lake he could see tall pine trees and a small river running to the left while a thick forest of oak trees grew to his right.

This was his home. The young tom felt pride growing in his chest as he suddenly took off at a run, his long legs making barely a whisper against the smooth, grassy ground. He could hear Shykit laughing out loud as she ran behind him, her fur rippling in the wind that raked across their territory, both wild but tamed at the same time. It felt wonderful.

Once they were far from camp, still running as fast as their legs could carry them, Dustkit threw back his head and let out a loud yowl. He was free and it felt as though he was invincible.

Eventually the two kits slowed down, panting and laughing as they sat down behind a large rock near the treeline. Suddenly, a familiar scent reached Dustkit's nose and he stiffened, swiftly stuffing a paw into Shykit's mouth. "Shh!" he whispered, barely audible as he removed his paw, "Someone's coming!"

Shykit nodded and the two kits swiftly hunkered down, nestling down under some tall grass so they wouldn't be noticed as a WindClan patrol swiftly came into view. Dustkit could pick out the pelts of his father, Stormpaw, Embercoal and- Great StarClan!- Tidalstar was leading the patrol, her blue-gray fur plastered at her sides as she ran.

There was a crack of thunder and Dustkit suddenly noticed the dark clouds that had been gathering, despite the nice, seemingly clear weather they had had just a little while ago. The heavens swiftly opened up, releasing their drenching pour onto the WindClan cats.

Shykit let out a soft squeak and pressed close to Dustkit to conserve the little warmth they could gain from each other as the air was rent with another blast of lightning. Dustkit bit back a yowl of warning as he saw the claws and teeth that flashed in the burst of light and a blood-curling caterwaul filled the air, making the young kit gasp as the area was filled with fighting cats, blood spattering the ground as the unknown cats pounced upon Tidalstar and her patrol.

Nightburn let out a screech and leaped at a dark tom, his claws flashing in the pouring rain while Stormpaw was grappling with a tom nearly twice his size, snarling and spitting with rage. Tidalstar was fighting like LeopardClan against two other cats while Embercoal let out a screech as her shoulder was raked by a scrawny she-cat's claws.

"We have to help them!" Dustkit whispered, his eyes wide and his unsheathed claws digging into the muddy ground. His fur was plastered to his sides, making him look small and miserable.

Shykit didn't look much better as she hissed back fiercely, "We wouldn't be able to do anything rabbit-brain! Do you think two kits could help fight against those cats? We'd just make it worse because they'd have to save our fur from them!"

Dustkit let out a hiss of frustration, "We can't just do nothing!" he growled, unsheathed claws kneading the ground in anger. "They could die!"

"They're trained warriors and can take care of themselves! We, however, don't know how Dustkit! I, for one, want to live to be able to help my clan!"

Dustkit let out another hiss but he stayed where he was, watching as his clanmates fought for his life and unable to help them.

**((A/N {Supernova750} Hey guys, sorry this is super late, we've both been super busy and stuff but for now, here you go with Chapter 2, part 1! Part 2 will be up when we can get it up and once more, so sorry for the long wait, everything's been pretty crazy lately! Hope you enjoy!))**


End file.
